There was a moment when Ryan Sandes (South Africa) thought: I can’t let someone as old as my grandfather catch me.That moment was the first day of RacingThePlanet: Namibia 2009 when both Sandes and 60-year old Marco Olmo (Italy) had walked into the FishRiverCanyon, ran through the world’s second largest canyon and climbed up aluminum ladders only to be greeted by yet another rocky hill.Sandes, who is currently second overall in the race, was running and as he glanced over his shoulder, saw Olmo coming up close behind him.

“He was flying up the hill and I was telling myself, not to be disrespectful, but he reminds me of my grandfather and I couldn’t let him take me,” said Sandes, who proceeded to indeed run just a little bit faster.

Olmo is not the oldest man in the 200-strong field of competitor (that honour goes to Japan’s Kazuo Isomura who is 69).However, Olmo may be among the most accomplished of the competitors and is currently third overall in the race.After beginning to run at age 37, Olmo has won about 20 races of a 100 km or longer and about 50 shorter-distance races such as marathons.Some of his bigger victories have included four victories in the Desert Cup, six wins in the Great Raid du Cro-Magnon and two wins in the Ultra trail Mont Blanc.He has won the Marathon des Sables three times.

Still, Olmo remains quiet, tranquil and humble, preferring to stay in his own tent rather than gather by the campfire each night.A strict vegetarian, Olmo said he stopped eating meat in his thirties, around the same time he began running.

“I was always tired, not feeling very well,” said Olmo from Robilante.“I had problems with my eyes and I had some Chinese medicine and then became a vegetarian.First it was for health reasons, but now it is more a religion.”

Now retired, Olmo used to work in the mountains of northern Italy.His ability to run and to run well at aged 60, may stem from his childhood upbringing.His father was a shepherd and he used to send Olmo into the mountains to retrieve the sheep or into town to run errands and buy groceries.Olmo has never been a professional athlete and these days, is reliant on sponsors to keep him through races.

“I do maybe seven or eight of these kinds of races a year,” said Olmo, who is participating in his first RacingThePlanet event.

In the beginning, Olmo ran in the summers and alpine skied in the winters, but has since switched his focus to strictly running.These days he trains a maximum of two hours a day.Outside of his running, Olmo is as tranquil as he is during a race.

“It’s similar to how I am in a race environment,” Olmo said.“I go for walks, watch National Geographic.I do know that it’s a bit crazy to compete, but I just can’t stop.”

Olmo’s first race of this kind was in 1996, when he ran the Marathon des Sables for the first time after the organisers called him and invited him into the race.Olmo finished third.This year, Olmo finished 12th in the Marathon des Sables.

His success is well-documented across Italy and Olmo has developed a strong fan base, with what he approximates as about 300 websites and a Facebook page dedicated to him.He has seen a documentary that was made about him last year, although he hasn’t seen the YouTube clip that’s been posted.Whatever the number of pages or hits Olmo can’t be certain, in part because he has never checked, but mostly because Olmo doesn’t have an Internet connection at home.

“I have never seen any of these,” Olmo said.“But it’s nice to have the fans and I do try to get good results for them.”

dear Trailrunning people,the 8th of june will bring the new issue of TRAIL. Still free and full of exciting reports. We focus on LADYS this time. Reports about the very best female runners, stuff for the girls and tipps.We talk to UTMB champ Marco Olmo.

Marco Olmo will take part to "Racing the Planet Namibia, a unique race in the African desert, with 6 stages for a total of more than 240 km.Marco loves running in the desert, he likes this type of races more than any other, even more than other races in his "loved" mountains, such as the UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc).Thanks to the organizers of this race (above all, its creator Mary K. Gadams , we'll be able to show Marco's adventure in the desert in our movie "One Step Beyond" ( the italian title is "Un passo dopo l'altro"- see www.unpassodopolaltro.it), coming out by the end of August 09.

THE COURSERacingThePlanet is a unique category of rough country footraces that take place over seven days and some 250 kilometers in remote and culturally rich locations around the world. Competitors must carry all their own equipment and food, are only provided with water and a place in a tent each day but are supported by professional medical and operations teams. RacingThePlanet is international; the events typically involve competitors from over 20 different countries who are able to mingle around the campfires and in their geographically mixed tents. Currently the events consist of the 4 Deserts, a series which encompasses the Gobi Desert in China, the Atacama Desert of Chile, the Sahara Desert in Egypt and Antarctica, and a fifth event which roves to a new location each year.

(Ecstore delivers all around the world with Fedex, but you can also buy the dvd from the following retailers)
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FRANCE
RAIDLIGHT - www.raidlight.com
Online Shop based in France,with a large catalogue of trail running equipment
Site francais de vente de produits de sport (course à pied, randonnée, course d'orientation)
Tienda on-line de material de trail y running, con sede en FranciaPrice: 18 €
BUY / ACHETEZ / COMPRA
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UK - USA and OTHER COUNTRIES
RACING THE PLANET www.racingtheplanet.com
Online Shop based in Hong Kong and UK (choose your one),with a large catalogue of trail running equipment.